Ernesto Serra

• Name — Ernesto Serra • Birth Name — Ernesto Serra • Born — 24 March 1860 • Birthplace — Varallo Sesia, Kingdom of Sardinia • Died — 17 May 1915 • Place of death — Turin, Kingdom of Italy • Known for — * Genre • portrait and landscape painting • Training — Andrea Gastaldi • Notable Works — * Elda • Lo Scialle Rosso • Venditrice d'aranci • Gentiluomo A Cavallo • La Maddalena nel Deserto • Patrons — Negozianti d'Arte di Colà • Awards — Gold medal Accademia Albertina, silver medal Esposizione d'Arte Sacra, Turin, 1898

Serra was born on 24 March 1860 in Varallo Sesia, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Albertina in Turin under Professor Andrea Gastaldi (1826–1889) and won a gold medal for portrait painting. He specialized in genre, landscape and portrait painting. At the Esposizione generale italiana del 1884, organised by the Società Promotrice dell'Industria Nazionale in Turin, he exhibited a portrait of a young lady called Lilia, also known as Elda, which was highly appreciated by the public and of which he subsequently produced about fifteen different versions. The painting was acquired by the committee of the Exposition to serve as prize for the exposition lottery. This was followed by exposition of Nadar at the 1885 Exposition Universelle d'Anvers in Antwerp. In 1886, he exhibited Così? at the Primaverile Fiorentina (Florentine Spring) exposition organised by the Società delle belle Arti di Firenze in Florence. Lilia was exposed again, together with the paintings Civetteria and Trastulli materni, at the 1887 Esposizione Nazionale Artistica di Venezia (National Artistic Exposition of Venice). From 1888 until 1895 he was sponsored by the Negozianti d'Arte di Colà and lived in Paris for two years where he exhibited Maura pienserosa and Visione at the Exposition Universelle (1889). After his return to Italy, he had his studio at Corso Valentino 2 in Turin. In 1897 Serra exhibited paintings at the Biennale di Venezia (Venice Biennale) and in 1898 exposed three paintings (Compagni di giuochi, Venditrice d'aranci and Una mossa difficile) at the Esposizione Generale Italiana, and two religious paintings (Il Sonno del Bambino Gesù and Maddalena nel Deserto) at the Esposizione d'Arte Sacra Antica e Moderna (Exposition of Sacred Art) in Turin, for which he was awarded a silver medal. The committee responsible for the Valsesian show at the exposition published a magazine to represent the works of Valsesian artists at the exposition, which also featured works of Ernesto Serra. In 1901 he exposed Falciatore (the haymaker) at the International Art Exposition of Munich, which was very well received and re-exposed in 1904 at the Internazionale in Rome and in 1913 at the Esposizione della Promotrice di Belle Arti in Turin. In 1902 he participated in the Esposizione Quadriennale di Belle Arte in Turin with Fiori d'aprile. Many of Serra's paintings were acquired by state and municipal galleries, but he was also supporterd by king Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and by Princess Isabella of Bavaria, the Duchess of Genoa. Later in his life he focused on landscape painting of the mountains near Turin. Ernesto Serra died in Turin on 17 May 1915 and sketches, drawings and paintings in his studio were auctioned off by Galleria Bollardi in Turin in 1917.

• Illustration — Version of Lilia or Elda, 1885–1890, oil on canvas • Illustration — Primavera • Illustration — La Maddalena nel Deserto, oil on canvas. Exhibited at the Galleria d'Arte Moderna all'Esposizine d'Arte Sacra, Turin, 1898. • Illustration — Alla Fontana • Illustration — Compagni di giuochi. Exhibited at the Esposizione Generale Italiana, Turin, 1898.